Hear me, he said, when his eyes were utterly Djinn. It wasnt loud, but it was . . . profoundly powerful.

The Oracle still hovered, but now features manifested on its face. Eyes opened, and they were the same green as Kevins.

I hear, the Oracle said. Speak.

But that was the last thing Kevin said, at least that I could plainly hear; his lips didnt move, but the intense stare between the two of them continued.

It occurred to me, after a few long seconds, that it felt just a little hotter in the room.

No, I was wrong. It felt like it was getting steadily hotter, fast. Like a blower had come on, venting heat back into the room.

Not good, David said. Get low.

Why?

Cool air sinks?

Oh. Id forgotten even the most basic physics now, thanks to the extreme state of death I was expecting to happen any second. I helped him down to his knees, then got face-first on the floor along with him.

Kevin was still standing. And now, flames were whipping around the floating lotus-position Oracle, flaring up and twisting in a miniature whirlwindbut never blocking the connection between his stare and Kevins. As I watched, the flames stretched out, circling around Kevin.

Binding the two of them together.

Kevin took a step closer. Then another one.

Kevin, dont touch him! I yelled. You canthell kill you! Because at his core, Kevin was still human. Still a Warden. And we didnt belong here.

Kevin stopped inches away. The fire was now blazing so hot around them that it was white- hot, like a curtain of flaming diamonds. Even with my face pressed low against the hot stone floor, every breath I gasped in was torturous and searing.

And then, with a tremendous burst of heat and light that seemed to char the entire world, Kevin collapsed. He did it in stages: knees went first, then he folded backward and caught himself with one outstretched arm. The arm failed, and he hit the floor, faceup.

The heat in the room suddenly dialed itself down. Way down, until it felt icy. That probably only meant that it was down to survivable temperature, but the relief was overwhelming enough to make me sob. I felt David shiver from the sudden chill, next to me.

When I tried to get up he said, No, dont move. His voice was hoarse. Stay down. This isnt yours to do. Trust me.

I had no idea what he was talking about. He stood up, swaying on his feet, his face a dirty, pale color that didnt look at all right.

David! I started to get up to join him, but he didnt pause.

He walked into the center of the room, where the Oracle had turned into a blazing white-hot ball, and before I could stop him . . .

. . . He plunged into the fire.

I screamed. I couldnt help itthe shock and enormity of it was horrifying.

I saw the man I loved most in the world burn.

It took place in a matter of a second, no more than a flash of light against my retinas, but there it was, frozen in horrible detail.

His skin flaring into black and red lace as it burned away.

His muscles shriveling, revealing white bone beneath.

A single X-ray flash of his entire skeleton coming free of its disappearing flesh.

A faint drift of ash falling to the floor.

Gone.

No.

That was my world, breaking apart into tiny, hazy fragments too small to notice. Too small to matter.

Like all of us.

Like humanity itself.

I heard that horrible, rending screaming of the Djinn on the ship. I saw Imara, falling on the steps of the chapel in Sedona with the life leaving her eyes. I saw my old friend Paul getting in the way of a burst of power from my hand. Destroyed. Murdered, by me.

I saw all the lives, the thousands and millions of lives, which were going out right now, like sparks drowning in darkness.

No more. No more. No more!

I realized that I was still screaming, only now it had turned to words. What did you do? What did you do?

The Oracle floated there, wrapped in a ball of blinding white fire, as uncaring as the sun.

My scream turned into a shriek of utter rage, and I stumbled to my feet, lungs burning under the pressure of the fury that was boiling out of me, and I lunged for the Oracle. He could damn well take me, too, the uncaring son of a

David manifested himself out of the air and caught me in strong, solid arms before I could finish my suicidal dash. Not the same David whod just disappeared in that horrible flash. This David was different, and achingly familiar. Pure, smooth skin with faintly metallic burnishing. A little more perfect than human. Copper flames dancing in his eyes.

This was the Djinn David.

Easy, he said, and his voice was the same, gentle and low and strong. I melted against him, weak with relief, breathless. Easy, Jo. Im here.

I couldnt speak. All I could do was shake and hold on. His fingers combed through my hair, and I felt the sweaty tangles relax, felt my filth and disarray swept away in a tingling tide. His way of showing his love and concern for me. It always had been.

Jo? Were you about to throw yourself into the Oracle after me?

I swallowed hard and tried to laugh it off, because his tone seemed so baffled and concerned.

Of course not, I said. It was getting cold out here. Needed to warm up.

Sorry, he said, and kissed me, and that was the same warm depth of emotion and love and promise as always. I had to move fast, once I realized what hed done.

The Oracle? I looked over his shoulder at the silent, glowing orb.

He separated out the powers from Kevin and contained them, but it was only temporary. Lightning in a bottle. If I didnt take it back right away, it would have been too late.

So you decided to commit suicide, on the off chance it would all work out. Nice. Thanks for giving me a vote. I was trying to sound unconcerned. It wasnt working, not at all. There was an edge to my voice, a raw hurt, and he pressed a kiss against my forehead with such gentleness my breath caught in my chest.

I was dying either way, he told me. I never would have left this place alive as a human. I didnt have the strength. It was the only chance I had.

Did it I couldnt ask that question, not directly. Did you feel it?

Davids face shut down, but his eyes remained warm and loving, focused on my face. The Djinn fires burned a little brighter.

We always feel death, he said. Its that memory that makes us different from the Old Djinn. We remember what it feels like to lose ourselves to the dark.

The Oracle pulsed light, just once, and David turned back to it. As Kevin had done, David had silent communion with the power that lived in this place. Unlike Kevin, it took a long time, and at the end of it, David didnt fall down. He just took a step back, looking thoughtful. Was that a frown? Yes, I was pretty sure he was frowning. He was staring down at the ground, so I couldnt be sure. One thing I was sure of, the place was heating up again, temperature climbing one steady degree every few seconds. In no time at all, the oven would be set to broil again.

Uh, honey? I finally said. What about me? My powers?

He looked up and shook his head. Not from him. He could take them out of Cherise and hold them for a few moments, but he cant put them into your human body. Youd have to be reborn as a Djinn, and those powers are designed for a human form, not one like mine. It wouldnt work. Youd never survive. Im not sure Cherise would, either.

My day just kept becoming more awesome. So what are we going to do?

For a start, get out of here, David said. To protect himself, the Oracle has put up barriers against the influence of the Mother; its one of the most difficult things hes ever done, and hes very upset. When hes upset . . .